Frank and Lisa were enjoying ice-cream cones with their grandpa.
"How's your ice cream, Grandpa?" asked Lisa.
"It's delicious," Grandpa replied.
"As soon as we're finished with our ice cream, why don't we all go to watch the fireflies?"
Frank and Lisa agreed.
They all went out to the trees behind the ice-cream shop.
It was dusk, and fireflies were everywhere.
"Look! I caught a firefly!" shouted Frank.
"Why does it glow?" Lisa asked.
"I don't know. Grandpa, what makes a firefly glow?" Frank asked.
"That's a good question, Frank," said Grandpa.
"Fireflies have a chemical in their stomach that glows when it comes in contact with oxygen.
Did you also know that only the male fireflies glow?" Grandpa asked.
"No, why is that?" said Frank.
"The male firefly glows to attract the female fireflies.
The faster he flickers, the more likely he will attract a female firefly," Grandpa explained.
"Wow, you know so much about fireflies!" said Lisa.
Lisa and Frank's parents and Grandma joined them.
"When I was your age," contintued Grandpa, "we used to light our house with fireflies."
"Really?" shouted Lisa and Frank.
"No," said Mom. "He's telling a tall tale."
"It's getting late," said Grandma. "We should go."
"Okay," Grandpa replied.
"Everybody in the back of the truck, and remember the rules:
No standing up and no sticking your hands outside the truck."
Grandpa drove them safely home.
"We're home," said Grandpa.
"And your grandma and I have a surprise for you kids."
Grandma led them to a bedroom and opened the door.
Inside were bunk beds.
"Your grandpa made these beds for you," said Grandma.
"Cool," said Frank. "I'm sleeping in the top bunk."
"I want to sleep in the top bunk," whined Lisa.
"I'm sorry, Lisa," said Grandpa, "but Frank is older.
He should sleep in the top bunk.
Do you need help climbing up?"
"No, but can you hand Terry to me?" asked Frank.
"Terry?" Grandpa asked.
"Terry is Frank's Tyrannosaurus rex," said Mom with a laugh.
"Yeah, Terry is so ugly that he scares all the monsters away," added Frank.
He had climbed up into bed.
"Oh, I see," replied Grandpa as he handed Terry to Frank.
"But there are no monsters in this house.
I chased them all away when your mom was little."
"It's true," said Mom.
"Your grandpa is very good at scaring away monsters.
Good night. I'll leave the door open and the hall light on."
"Good night, Mom," said Frank.
"Good night," said Lisa.
In the middle of night, Frank dropped his dinosaur.
"Oh, Terry! Are you okay?" he whispered.
"Terry, are you okay?
Are you scared?" said Lisa.
Frank climbed down to get Terry.
"Can Terry and I sleep with you and Dolly?" asked Frank.
"Terry is afraid of the top bunk."
"Okay," said Lisa sleepily. "Make sure Terry doesn't eat Dolly."
"He won't," promised Frank.
In the morning, Grandpa and Mom came to wake them up.
"Frank, Lisa, it's time to get up.
We're going to the lake," said Grandpa.
"Okay," said Frank and Lisa.
"Frank, why are you sleeping with Lisa?" asked Mom.
"Terry fell out of the top bunk," said Frank.
"I climbed down to get him, but he was too scared to go back.
So we slept with Lisa."
"It's true," replied Lisa.
"And Terry promised not to eat Dolly."
Everyone smiled.